Seth's Folly
by Eryessa
Summary: Based off of my Egyptian Werewolf Myth story. Seth's in a jam, he's been bitten by a werewolf and now has a target on his back. Not only that, Dean Ambrose and Sheamus aren't as they seem. With the help of a half witch, a talking doll, and another werewolf, they are thrown into an adventure that is leading to a different war all together. Warning: Occult oriented.
1. Chapter 1

Traveling with the WWE had its ups and downs. Known as Seth Rollins, Colby Lopez quickly found out what one of the downs was. Sleeplessness. Even when he wasn't traveling or training, sleep came bad for him. The fact that Colby couldn't sleep this one particular night in Portland, Oregon, made it even more displeasing.

Colby decided to go for a run, to jog off his never ending thoughts. He'd heard CM Punk talk about going for nightly runs to get himself tired. This is what Colby decided to do. He left his sleeping roommate Joe Anoa'i, better known as Roman Reigns to the WWE Universe, and ventured into the Portland night. He didn't know where his friend Jon Good was, him and Stephen Farrelly disappeared hours before in a hurry. Actually that was the first time Colby had seen Jon worried about something.

The hotel where many of the WWE superstars were staying at was on Burnside Street, it ran north and south from the hotel and it was near the Burnside Bridge. Might as well, he had nothing better to do. Heading off in one direction with no destination in sight, other than where to put his feet next, Colby started to jog. Downtown Portland had a mixture of modern next to historical. Some parts were well kept, others in Colby's opinion looked to be places no living human would ever set foot, at least not without some form of weapon. Colby decided to run this street for however long before heading back to the comforts of his hotel room.

With ear-buds in place, his favorite rock music playing from his iPod, Colby didn't notice that something was following him.

Colby stopped when feeling the hairs on his neck raise. Stopping his iPod, he looked around. The store fronts were dark, well passed closing time. Nothing moved, save for the cat near a set of dumpsters behind the nearby pizzeria. There wasn't anyone out, strange for city standards, no other human at least. Colby had passed Third Ave, heading towards the Burnside Bridge when he felt someone watching him. Colby started turning in a circle, trying to see who was watching him. Someone was there, he just couldn't see them. And then it happened all at once it seemed like.

Red-orange eyes broke through the night, coming from the bridge, staring at the man on the sidewalk. Whatever it was, it looked like a dog, but the size of a horse. It stood in the middle of the street, it's long skinny forked tail swishing back and forth. This creature stood under the dim glow of a street lamp, and from what Colby could see was that the thing had jet black fur. When he heard its growl, well it was enough for Colby to turn and run north as fast as he could. Just as Colby made to turn his left hand had flung out and in a flash of move that dog creature thing ran forward and sunk its teeth into Colby's hand.

The pain was blinding, even if his hand had taken the brunt of the attack, but Colby managed to rip his hand away, pivoting just slightly as he ran north. The ear-buds had fallen out when he went to run, now Colby could hear exactly what was chasing him. It sounded like a cross between a horse and a dog, but deeper. This fork-tailed dog creature was right on him as Colby ran on the sidewalk, yet it didn't stop Colby from seeing something glowing slightly in the dark, running at him from where he was running to.

Not so much as glowing as the pale opaque skin of Stephen Farrelly running into the fray of man versus creature. In what could be described as slow motion, and with a battle roar, Stephen blindsided the dog creature, plowing right into the red-orange eyed thing, and delivered a well placed spear to it. Both tumbled together to the ground in a mass of black and white colors. It was Stephen who had the upper hand, getting the dog creature into a side headlock, preventing its frothing jaws from biting him. Still in shock from seeing the creature, Colby was stopped by a set of strong hands, no human hands. It scared Colby so much that he tried fighting off the person that had a hold of his shirt and upper arms.

"Colb, Colby!" Jon's voice was in front of him. "Damn it man, look at me!" He heard this as he was forced to sit down on the sidewalk.

Colby was staring at his friend and co-worker Jon Good who was kneeling in front of him. Compared to Stephen, and being blonde, Jon was dressed in a strange all black outfit, with silver designs that he couldn't understand if they had a meaning behind them or not. The older man had what looked like a short sword. No, it was a short sword, a Wakizashi, a Japanese type sword.

"You're going to be okay." Jon said, slowly standing up in front of Colby.

"I need some help here, Fella!" Stephen's Irish brogue accent called out. "My hold's slipping."

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Colby dumbly nodded at his friend.

Stephen and the dog creature where they both were facing in Jon's direction. With Colby out of harm's way, Jon took his sword and stood like baseball player up at bat.

"Now!" Jon yelled, holding the sword aloft over his head.

The Irishman let the dog creature go, jumping back in case the creature were to whirl around to attack him. Not this time, and with its stupidity, it lunged for Jon rearing up on it's hand legs as to push the unyielding man down. Instead, Jon took two steps forward, thrusting upwards with his sword just under the creature's ribcage. Slicing through flesh and between bone, the blade ended up in the creature's heart, killing it almost instantly. It was like everything stopped at that one moment. The pony sized dog creature, as Colby watched from where he sat, began shifting, morphing. The black fur seemed to shorten even further, replaced by skin; the snout go shoved back into its head while being replaced by a human face. The beast changed from what Colby had seen earlier into a man in moments. And he was dead.

Slowly the shock wore on the bitten man. Colby felt his eyes close on their own and then it felt as if he was falling. Yes he did fall, he fell backwards onto the concrete of the sidewalk.

"Oh great." Jon said pulling his Wakizashi blade from the man's corpse. He had seen Colby faint.

"Look, Fella, he's been bitten." Stephen pointed out while kneeling at Colby's side.

"Let's get him to the witch, she'll know what to do. Be a good fella and carry him, would ya?" Jon smirked a bit at the Irishman.

* * *

**So yeah, I'm attempting something with this one but I'm not sure on where to go. **


	2. Chapter 2

She watched Labina closely who was sitting on the table in her hotel room reading a book. The foot tall doll could easily fit in her purse if she ever took it to work. Annella was still getting used to this spirit doll, but it was a relief for Annella since she didn't have to touch that dreaded book. Labina was looking for something, something that had gotten the both of them up in the middle of the night.

"What's gotten you up, Labina." Annella asked, rubbing her eyes before reaching for her glasses.

"Werewolf," a voice sounded from the mouth of the living doll.

Annella's familiar was in direct contact with the spirit world, the In-Between, being a spirit in a doll body that was gifted to her. A witch's familiar is usually a magical animal but since working as the traveling medic for the WWE and bringing a doll was a lot easier than an animal. Familiars are suppose to add to the witch's magic but…Annella was still getting use to have a doll that was created with Vodoun magic who had its own soul.

Suddenly there was a knock on her hotel door. No, it wasn't a knock, it was a pounding. Annella adjusted her pink pajama bottoms and the crooked white tank top before going to see who it was. Jon was there, actually Annella found Stephen there as well, but he had an unconscious man draped over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Sunshine, we're in a jam." Jon smiled at the woman in front of him.

"Put him on my bed. I'll go get my kit." She said stepping aside for them to enter.

"It's too late, he has been infected." Labina stated as Jon closed the door behind him.

"True but he could loose his hand." Annella replied, glancing at the doll.

Colby was pale, blood was clotting and coating both sides of his hand. Cleaning the injury was doable yet there was a slight chance Colby might need stitches. As the witch worked on Colby's wound, Jon and Stephen gave Annella a play by play of what happened.

"I had a premonition of a werewolf attacking someone down near the Burnside Bridge. Used my tracking magic and got to the scene of the creature attacking Colby." Jon said as he thumbed the hilt of his sword attached to his hip.

"He's infected now." Labina pointed out again. "He'll change soon enough and you'll need Gabriel to teach him."

"That doll of yours is getting on my last nerve." Stephen gave the freaky doll a once over as she went back to reading the Book of Shadows.

"I'm still getting used to her myself. Yarrow paste, it should heal up the wound quicker than any antiseptic." Annella rested Colby's hand in her lap so she wouldn't bloody the hotel sheets and get feed extra for her room.

All of ten minutes later, Colby's hand was bandaged and he was resting peacefully in Annella's bed. The witch stood up from the bed and pulled her gloves off. She proceeded to toss the soiled gloves away and then pushed Colby's hair from his face.

"Let him sleep here tonight." She said looking at Jon and Stephen. "You guys better contact PJ about this and Labina will contact the High Council. It's the least she can do."

The doll crossed her arms as she now sat on the nightstand next to the single bed in the room. Labina's black brown eyes were zoned in on the witch in the room. Ever since they were partnered together they worked great magic but they differed in personality. Annella was positive and Labina was negetive, not evil but being created by a Vodoun priest, dark and light were there intertwined. Circle of Life, Labina would say. Now she was going to astral travel to the Inner Sanctum of the High Council to tell the head council members about a rogue werewolf attack.

"Fine, but you know they hate interruptions." Labina sighed.

Soon silence. She had gone in spirit, leaving her doll body behind in the hotel room.

"How'd you get partnered with that thing?" Jon asked.

"Ambrosius, how did you get partnered with a Druid? You're half Unseelie and half Seelie, he's a very long lived Druid. Yet the council decided that the both of you should work together while you're in the WWE." Annella pointed out. "Hundreds of years you both lived, why not put the good with the bad. Course Labina didn't have a choice to be my familiar."

"We didn't either." Stephen stated.

"My point exactly."

Jon/Ambrosius shook his head with a sigh. "Come on, Man. We've got to find the South African werewolf. He'll know what to do with Colby."

The fey and Druid left, leaving the witch with the injured man in her bed and the body of a soulless doll. Colby, still out of it, lay almost motionless in the bed. There was only one thing to do, get coffee.

"I'm going to need it." Annella mumbled as she went for her jogging sneakers, wallet and jacket that were either under or on the nearby hotel dresser.

* * *

Colby realized something, his hand was burning. Secondly, he wasn't in his hotel room with Joe. Thirdly…

"I can't think." He placed his good hand to the side of his head where a throbbing pulsed.

Labina, having just returned to her body, watched the man. Even though she was smiling on the outside, inside the lost soul was thinking. An attack by a rogue, the book said, would result in a death, either from the attack or during the transformation during the next full moon. If he survived the attack, who was to say he would during the transformation?

"Where am I?" Colby asked, looking around.

"You're in my Mistress' hotel room."

"Who said that?" Colby sat bolt upright. He looked around the room, expecting to see someone there. "Who's there? Show yourself, damn it."

"I'm right here." He heard an exasperated sigh. "Look on the nightstand, genius."


	3. Chapter 3

A talking doll, an ugly ass talking doll. This thing was talking to him as if it was a person. From a semi-sitting position, Colby was now sitting up right. The pain in his hand forgotten now as he watched the doll, which looked like a black twelve inch baby doll, stand up under the lamp on the nightstand. It wore a handmade dress, red with white lace trimming, both ornate and crudely made at the same time. Colby saw it was wearing a necklace, a pentagram around it's neck. It was small to match the weare'rs small stature.

"You think I'm scary, wait until you go through your transformation." It spoke, sounding more female the more he heard it talk.

"I'm dreaming, that's it. I'm just dreaming." Colby recited as he moved from the doll, closer to the edge of the bed. "You're not real."

"Nothing's real if you think about it." Labina replied. "You go by Seth Rollins in the WWE, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Rollins means son of Rolf, Rolf means wolf. How convenient, you'll be a werewolf come the next full moon. If you survive the transformation."

"Transformation into what?"

"A werewolf of course. Your stage name fit's the bill for one. After all, Set created the werewolf lineage, with a little help from Wepwawet."

"I don't have a damn clue what you're talking about, you wannabe Chuckie doll."

"Please, that movie series don't do poppets justice. And my name is Labina, Wolf Boy." Then she sighed and proceeded to jump from the nightstand to the bed.

Colby almost shot out of the bed when the doll landed on the pillow. Then effortlessly, Labina scared down the blankets to the floor. The two tone haired man had to lean over the side of the bed to see Labina walk to the hotel table where a large, old looking book was resting. And then, like Superman, the foot tall doll jumped to the chair and then to the table top.

"Annella's Book of Shadow's has the history of Were Creatures. It started with a cursed Set-Beast created by Set and Wepwawet."

"Wait, wait, I don't know who you're talking about." Colby stood up from the bed. "Who are Set and Wepwawet?"

Labina waited patiently for the man to sit down in the chair at the table by flipping through the old vellum pages of the book. She found the section about werewolves, or Were Creatures and as Colby slowly sat down in the chair, she slid the book towards him. Now he sat facing a book with hand drawn images in it of scale replicas of wolves and man. Kind of reminded him of the spell book from The Charmed television series. Yet this one had images of Egyptian hieroglyphs, images of things from Egypt. And then a distinct wolf creature that looked exactly like the one that had bitten him earlier in the night.

"Set or Sutek, even known as Seth, is the Egyptian god of Chaos. That's him there." Labina pointed to an image of a dog like creature with a human body on the first page of the Were section. "Set created the creature called the Salawa, or Scary Wolf. It is a Set-Beast, a desert dwelling creature that eats people and animals. It is a fierce animal to contend with. But it isn't human and Set didn't create it alone." She motioned to another illustration in the book. "Wepwawet is the desert wolf god, known as the opener of ways since he is associated with Anubis the God of Death and mummification, he is one himself. The Set beast, or Salawa, was created by Set from the dead body of Wepwawet's offspring and with the aid of Wepwawet's death magic, they both brought this creature to life. This Salawa is Death and Destruction together. It kills, but if it doesn't kill, those bitten if successfully transformed become part Salawa and part wolf.

"Large at five feet tall at the shoulders, these wolf creatures can change at will but are more effective at night, yet they turn savage on the full moon. You have to drink the Lunar Tea to tame your savage beast, or you will turn deadly to all of those around you. This goes for all werewolf types. They can change at will but they turn savage during the full moon."

As Labina spoke Colby was reading the book. He looked at the illustrations and listened to the strange doll at the same time. The werewolves started in Egypt, but in other countries, different deities created their own werewolves. Egyptian werewolves came from a cursed animal, and these specific ones had forked tails. Images of his own attack, seeing that creature under the street lamp, it fit the Egyptian kind of werewolf. And besides wolf creatures, now there were bears, big cats, even eagles, hawks and the rare fox Were creatures.

"So I will be a wolf, right?" Colby asked.

"What creature bit you?"

"It looked like this, a gigantic black dog. It was huge with red-orange eyes and black slit pupils. It also had a forked tail, long and swishy like. It's kind of hard to explain to a talking doll."

Ignoring his last comment, Labina explained, "That sounds like a direct Salawa descendant, a rare thing because the Egyptian werewolves are thought to be extinct. The Council will want you to register as soon as possible so that if you go through your transformation you will be a citizen like Ambrosius and Sheamus."

"Who and Sheamus?"

"Right, you would know them as Jonathan Good and Stephen Farrelly. They are apart of the Night Society too."

"Like I'm going to believe anything a talking doll has to say." Colby crossed his arms as he stared at Labina. "I'm still sure this is just a dream."

That's when the door opened.

* * *

Annella had two coffees in her cup tray as she unlocked her hotel room door. What greeted her was Colby sitting at the hotel table with Labina and her family's Book of Shadows open in front of him. It's not like the witch didn't let others read it, Labina was trained in Vodoun magic, European magic was both similar and different at the same time. Colby didn't understand magic or the history of witches, witchcraft or magic.

"You're up, that's good. I wasn't sure if you liked coffee so I bought you some." Annella took one of the Starbucks coffee to-go cups. "I'm Annella McIntyre by the way."

"Colby Lopez. So this isn't a dream?" The man asked. "She's real?" He point to Labina who was sitting quietly, staring at Colby in an unblinking manner.

"She is. She's my familiar, though more like a partner. She helps my magic."

"What is she? How did she come to be a doll?"

"Not right now, Sweetie. Let me see your hand." Annella walked towards him, setting her coffee down on the table. "You'll have a scar, I'm sure."

Annella unwrapped the bandage, putting Colby's hand on her knee, palm up. There was a bite mark there, a large gash on his palm from when Colby yanked his hand from the creature's mouth. The gash was worse than the one on top of Colby's hand, Annella mused as she rewrapped the wound with a new bandage.

"You're one of the traveling medics, right?"

"That's right, and a masseuse as well if that's what's needed."

"Are you good friend with Jon and Stephen?"

"Of course, they wouldn't have brought you to me if they weren't." She looked at Colby with a knowing smile.

"Okay, you have a talking doll so you're obviously a witch. Why not have a cat?"

"I'm allergic to cats, I'm a dog person anyway."

"She wouldn't stand you if you were a Werecat species." Labina sounded amused at that fact.

"She kept saying something about transformation, if I survive it."

Annella sighed as she sat in the chair next to Colby. "Were Creatures, especially those who have been bitten, die during the transformation. Were-children can be born between two Were creatures or a Were and a normal person. Since they are born with the Were gene they don't have to go through the transformation phase. Sheamus, sorry, Stephen should be calling PJ and getting him to come by."

"PJ, you mean Justin Gabriel is really a werewolf?"

"His lineage goes to another werewolf creation, in German ancestory. But from what Ambrosius, again sorry I mean Jon, the werewolf that got you was from the Egyptian breed, a breed long since thought extinct."

"Why?"

"Cross breeding, though feline Weres and canine Weres can't breed with each other. No one knows why the Seti Pack died out, no one knew that they were in existence now. I mean there has been wars between the Weres for so long." Labina added.

It was all too confusing to deal with, it made Colby's head hurt, again. No longer a dream, reality set in.

"Jon, Stephen, are they okay? They attacked that creature that attacked me." Colby was not going to utter the word werewolf, for fear that maybe it was just all faked anyway. "They are okay, right?"

"Jon and Stephen are fine. They'll be around to see how you are doing." As if on cue there was a knock, actually a familiar pounding. "That must be them now. I hope they got word on PJ."

Colby's brown eyes scanned the small woman as she walked to the nearby door. She was wearing pink pajama bottoms and an old tank top, nothing too revealing, especially nothing that would draw unwanted attention. Her short layered blonde hair made her appear pixie like, it easily moved as she answer the door. Sure enough, there was Jon Good and Stephen Farrelly standing at the door, but neither man or whatever they were, were not in a happy mood. Annella soon joined them in looking distressed.


	4. Chapter 4

How could this have happened?

Colby was trying not to scratch his hand as he watched Jon, Stephen and Annella taling in hushed voices in the small hotel bathroom. Labina was with them, oddly sitting on Jon's shoulder. Was he going through his transformation already or what because Colby could hear every word they were saying. None of it sounded good.

"A hit, someone was aiming for him?" He heard Annella whisper, look at the two men in front of her.

"The necromancer in charge of the body caught a past impression of the Were's instructions. Has to be male, young preferably and he has to be bitten on this Full Moon in particular." Jon, or so Colby knew him ask, said.

"And Colby possesses all of that?"

"Aye, he did. Also, one other thing the necromancer mentioned is that Colby is a descendant of the Seti Pack's first Alpha, Seti himself. The Prophecy is coming true."

"What did the Council say when you talked to them, Labina?" The witch asked.

"They insist on seeing the one Chosen by Set himself."

"Say again?" Jon looked at the doll on his shoulder.

"The Gods choose what may or may not happen. The Prophecy of the Weres is coming to light." Stephen stated glumly.

"What prophecy?" The four turned to look at Colby. "I deserve to know, don't you think? I mean I am sort of like you guys, maybe."

"Look Colb, a long time ago the God Set…" Jon began.

"I know, that Salawa thing he created started everything, at least on the Egyptian side. What is this prophecy?"

"Okay, he chose who would become the first werewolf, a boy named Seti. During his transformation he killed his mother and younger brother, leaving his youngest sister alive. Set declared that if the Seti Pack were to ever go extinct then he would choose the next Seti Pack Alpha, which it has, and it has to be born from Seti's sister. I'm guessing the next Alpha has to be male, in your case."

"That monster the bit me was the last of the Seti Pack?" Colby asked.

"The last that we know of. There are several different kinds of Weres, yours happens to be the first kind, Egyptians. Then there are the Europeans, mainly Norse and Romani. The Russians have foxes. There are subspecies like felines that roam around. But the Egyptians were the first, they are the strongest. They were created with magic so they are capable of using magic more strongly than other Weres." Jon stated. "But Colb, there was a war between the European Weres and the Egyptians hundreds of years ago, to see who was the strongest." That's where he stopped.

"And…" Colby inclined his head, trying to know what happened next.

"The Europeans won, lad, driving the Egyptians underground, to extinction." Stephen filled in.

"So what you're saying is that I'm in danger?"

"Yes, Sweetie." Annella sat down at the foot of the bed that Colby was sitting on as well. "PJ is willing to call a truce with his Pack about you, because you both work together, but there are other Packs and Clans out there willing to kill you."

So now he was in the middle of a turf war, oh great.

"Does Joe know anything about all of this?" Colby question, flailing his arms about, indicating to himself and then the others more out of exasperation than anything else.

"No, that's because he's human. Stu and Drew are humans. Only a handful of people in the WWE are apart of the Night Society." Stephen stated.

"What is that anyway, Night Society?" Colby stood from the bed to walk towards the nearby window. "Is it like a community of fanstasy creatures?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Jon smirked. "I know you must think I've been lying to you for years, Colby. You have to understand, I'm not immortal but I am two hundred and seventy years old. The fey are extremely long lived, a lot of humans think that we are immortal be we aren't."

"The Morrigan granted me longevity if I chose to fight for Ireland. With supernatural attack less and less nowadays, She granted me to work with the Night Society to help protect humans from vengeful beings that think they are the superior race."

"I'm a mortal, don't worry." Annel smiled softly at Colby. "Though I am a witch as you probably already gathered. Well half witch."

"What about Labina, what exactly is she?"

"She's my familiar, like I already told you. I finished my training with the Council but was given my current job as an onsight medic for the WWE. Because I'm constantly travling, I needed something that wouldn't cause much concern with people."

"So you were partnered with a Chuckie wannabe voodoo doll?" Colby cringed slightly at his words. "Sorry, Labina."

"It's okay, Wolf Boy. But how my soul got placed in this form is none of your business." The doll said as she was still sitting on Jon's shoulder.

"We all carry secrets, Colb, some are too painful to deal with in Labina's case. You can never speak about any of this, Colby. I would suggest not speaking about it to your family." The blonde man said, hand firmly grasped on the hilt of his Japanese sword.

"Mom wouldn't believe me anyway."

Colby was trying to act cordial, to stay calm. But it seemed like everything was happening at once. First, he was targeted, now he's wanted and now he could see details of people on the street more accurately than before in his life. Like the old black man with all white hair and that old 80's-90's trench coat walking down the sidewalk in front of the hotel. It was still dark out yet Colby could make out that the man's hat had a spade card sticking from the fidora.

"So now what?" He turned to look at the others.

"It's time to go to the In-Between to see the Council." Labina stated.

Now what is this In-Between shit she was talking about, Colby silently asked himself as the other three were coming up with a plan on what to do.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, how do we get to the In-Between?" Colby asked as he followed Jon, Stephen and Annella. Labina was held securely in Annella's arms as if she were a doll.

Well, Labina was one in a sense.

"Different ways, there are at least portals to the In-Between. Special trees that are points between this world and the In-Between. Fey kinds can spontaniously travel to the In-Between at will, anything that wasn't born of the human world can't. Stephen can't, I can't, you can't. Labina can astral travel to the In-Between because of what she is, a doll with a soul. Also in order for us to travel there, the portal has to be opened for us by the tree's guardian." Annella said, looking back at Colby. "So we're all going through a portal located here in Portland."

They were in a park, made up of mostly Evergreen trees. With Oregon and Washington State being in the Pacific Northwest, both states were awefully green in color the whole year through. This one park was no different, especially with towering Evergreens and pines around everywhere. Every once in a while Colby could see movement out of the corner of his eye, and when he looked all he caught was someone walking behind the trees, hiding. He could hear people moving around but could really see them.

"Dryads, Colby, they're dryads." Jon said as if knowing what the younger man was thinking.

"Dryads are fey beings that can't travel from their trees." Stephen elaborated. "They are bound to the earth, much like Druids."

"Oh," came Colby's dumbed reply.

"Here it is!" Annelled hollered, having been at the front of the line of men. "The largest oak tree in the city."

She wasn't kidding, this tree was huge. Colby stopped to look up at said tree. Compared to all the surrounding trees, this oak tree was so huge it appeared larger than life itself. The giant oak's limbs reached high into the sky, blocking out the early morning sunlight.

"To us we can see it as it truly is." Annella said, upon seeing Colby's awestruck look on his face. "To normal people it's just a tree. To the Night Society, it is more than just an oak tree. Now, where is the guardian? Hello, Oak Guardian!" Annella turned to the tree again.

Jon looked around. "Something's wrong." He said reaching for his Wakizashi sword.

"What's wrong?" Colby asked, looking around as well.

"I don't know but something happened here. Be on the look out, keep your ears open, Colby."

Annella mumbled something, grabbed Colby's elbow and pulled him closer to her. Labina was on the ground looking around, she had to turn her head just to look because of her button eyes. A smell of blood caught Colby's attention. He sniffed, finding it was coming from the left side of the tree, just behind it. Actually, he saw something, a pale white hand laying on the ground, the rest of the body hiding behind the tree.

"There." Colby nudged Annella. "Right there, I see a hand and I smell blood."

The dryad was as white as Stephen but had brown hair, the same color as the oak tree's bark. The woman had no cloths on, just hair that went to her knees. She was face down on the ground, bright red blood pooling around under her. What appeared to be a cord wrapped around her waist was broken and it looked like blood was coming out of the tether where it had been broken. While one golden piece of the tether was wrapped around her waist the other piece looked to be coming out of the oak tree itself.

"Her connection to the tree was severed. Dryads can't travel far from their trees or their connection will be cut." Stephen said, kneeling at the strange woman's side. "Her life source is the tree. If that line is severed then she dies."

"Think like a pregnant woman, the umbilical cord that feeds the baby. Did she sever the connection herself?" Annella came to stand next to Colby.

Jon knelt at the body, too. He touched the end of the tether that had been connected to the tree but it didn't look to be cut with a knife except with something just as bad. Colby had to step back a bit as the dryad's skin started cracking and any remaining color in her body faded. Before his eyes he watched the dryad turn to ashes, glittering ashes. A wind blew through the area, picking up some of the ash and carrying it through the forest.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…wherever her soul went her body will go back to the earth." Labina spoke in a lament sort of tone.

"The connection was chewed. There were obvious teeth marks on the cord." Jon stood up, sheathing his sword. "How did you know where to look, Colb?"

"I smelt the blood, then I saw her hand behind the tree." Colby had to turn away, even though there was a pile of ash in front of him he had never seen a dead body before. Except for the previous night when that creature attacked him.

"I'll open the…" Jon started to say but his Shield partner stopped him. "What is it?"

"I smell something." Colby sniffed deeply, walking around to the front of the oak tree with everyone following him. "It's staying in one place but it stinks, like a wet dog."

"Werewolf no doubt." Stephen rubbed the Celtic cross around his neck.

"Fuck man, put that thing away. It's zapping my strength." Jon hissed through his teeth as he looked around the area.

"Sorry, Ambrosius." The Irishman said, tucking the cross into his shirt.

Colby made a mental note about asking why Stephen and everyone else was calling him Ambrosius. Annella was almost cowering behind Colby, Labina was ready for action is seemed to him as whoever was in the forest moved away. Colby couldn't hear it breathing and even though the scent lingered it moved off, away pretty damn fast.

"It's gone." Colby sniffed at the air. "It moved away fast."

"Let's get the hell out of here. I'll open the portal." Jon said turning to the large oak tree.

Jon said something in a language Colby couldn't understand. No sooner had Jon said the words the tree did something strange. The tree shimmered, sort of a silver white color and it sparkled in the morning light. It was like there was a veil surrounding the tree, rippling and moving in an almost invisible manner.

"Come on, Colby." Annella tugged on his arm again. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

"Why do I feel like an explosion is going to happen, and soon?" He looked at the small witch next to him.

For a moment Annella wanted to touch Colby's facial hair, to run her fingers through his dual colored hair. His eyes were starting to change, there was a red hint of color in Colby's warm brown eyes.

Warm brown eyes, the thought caused Annella to step back from the wrestler.

"Come on, the both of ya. The High Council is expecting us." Stephen said before walking into the trunk of the oak tree.

Annella picked up Labina before walking into the tree as well.

"Go on, Colb, it's safe. I'm right behind you." Jon nodded at him.

Taking a deep breath, adjusting his black baseball cap, Colby closed his eyes and stepped forward. He didn't feel anything resisting, no solid barrier. Actually it felt thick, slightly cold and then the noises started.


	6. Chapter 6

One moment he was in the Portland park, then the next he was in a city. It looked like something from the SYFY Channel, like a world within a world.

"Rowling only caught a glimpse of the Night Society." Jon said following Colby through the portal. "Our world exists within, it mirrors reality."

Besides the obvious lack of cars, or electronics, it looked like the equivalent of Dark Age London, this place was….magical as Colby watched a green skinned large thing walk in front of him. It looked sort of like Ryback with bulldog teeth and it was pulling a handmade cart filled with what appeared to be a by-product of something, something he didn't want to find out.

"Why is the sun shining here?" Colby asked, looking up at the clear, scattered cloud morning sky.

"Mysteries of the Universe." Labina said. "The In-Between holds many mysteries, a world within a world. Albion, this city, is central to all the other fey realms in this place. This is where all can come together for trade, education or whatever they wish."

Albion was just like any other city. It was built from grey stone with stone steps to places that had different types of trees central to each terrace. Little glowing lights floated here and there as if they were fireflies dancing in the night, even if it was morning still. He caught a white skinned man in ornate whimsical robes talking animatedly to one of the ball of blue light as if it was…

"It would be wise not to stare, Colby." Stephen advised, bringing the younger man's attention back to him.

"Yeah sorry, I'm not used to any of this." He responded, falling in step behind the Irishman.

"It's okay to look but don't gawk." Labina said jumping from Annella's hands to Jon's shoulder. Jon didn't so much as jerk as the doll did this, like he was used to it by now.

At the center of the city, where two water canals intersected, sat a large black sphere of stone. Just beyond this spot a grand oak tree, much like the one they passed through, stood at the north of the city. Beyond the Sphere a long white marble walkway went directly to the tree, which was nestled on an island that was surrounded by water. From the center of the tree sprung a waterfall the cascaded down into a large pond at the base of the tree. From what Colby could see, there appeared to be stairs spiraling around the gigantic tree, with individual buildings coming from it, like a giant tree house apartment complex. All the other buildings in the city were white marble, but those tree buildings were brown, as if the tree had sprouted them itself.

"State your business." A voice said coming out of nowhere, bringing Colby's attention to the Sphere in front of him.

There, inside the black sphere, was a man. Well not really, he had a round face, a long white beard, pointed ears, a hooked nose and odd green eyes that seemed to glow in the mist that surrounded the floating head. Colby couldn't help but gawk.

"Ambrosius, Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Annella McIntyre, Labina and Colby Lopez are here to speak with the High Council." Jon said in an authorative kind of way.

"You may pass." The floating head said before disappeared.

He couldn't help it, the question just came out unchecked. "Was that the Wizard of Oz?" Colby asked as he followed the rest of the group towards the giant tree.

"No, just the Goblin Guard. Fierce warriors but not bright on brains. Keep your distance from them if you can." Stephen responded, glancing at the younger man in return.

Jon and Stephen led the group to the tree, passing people, beings, even a pixie, fairy and sylph or two. The clear water lapped at the white stone bridge they were on, but Colby heard singing and laughing from below. A quick glance over the side of the bridge and Colby got a face full of water.

"Oi, off with ya!" Stephen yelled, leaning over the ledge and motion at soemthing below. "Bleedin' undines and selkies. Got to watch out for them, lad, much of the fey kinds can be tricksters."

"Is there at least one I can trust around here?" Colby asked, wiping the water from his face with his hands.

"You can trust me, Colb." Jon said before leading them on to the tree.

What did that mean, Colby pondered as they started along the way.

That sword of Jon's, Colby never saw it before. Why hadn't he ever seen Jon with it before? How can he get through airport security with that thing in his bags? Did Jon possess powers? All these questions and more swam through Colby's head as they neared the island with the large tree on it.

"Prince Ambrosius, so nice to see you again." A woman in long white flowing fabrics, a dress and a cloak maybe, said looking at Jon. "Have you been talking with your father or mother?"

"Not for a while now, Lady Titania." Jon responded. "Neither parent were thrilled with my choice to be amongst humans."

This Lady Titania's gaze traveled over to Annella, whose eyes were cast down, not even making eye contact with this dark haired woman. "A witch that can't even protect herself. Why do you call this mortal a friend, Ambrosius?"

"Is it really any of your business, Titania? You're just the loon who spies for my mother. We have business to attend to, now let us pass."

The strange woman looked at Colby. "Better keep your dog on a leash, Ambrosius, his kind are hard to keep trained anymore these days."

"Go fuck someone who cares, Tit Face." Jon shoved by her, leaving Stephen to guide Annella and Colby towards the tree.

"Better watch your mouth, Your Highness. The High Council is deciding your fate since your parents can't agree on anything lately."

Colby had never seen Jon so pissed off before. This Titania woman grapped the hem on her dress, twisted around and then transformed into a bird, a white bird before flying off into the sky.

No one dared to speak as Jon walked up the wooden stairs to the large wooden door in the tree. The door was just to the right of the thundering waterfall but far enough that it wasn't getting any of the travelers wet. Jon and Stephen opened the double doors together, which allowed the others to enter into the tree. What appeared to be a large hall with a pool of water at the center greeted them. Oddly it looked like they were actually inside a tree, not like the inside of a building.

Though sparce in decoration and still able to hear the waterfall outside, it held an elegance to it. For one thing there were candles all over the place and what look like small tiny dragons dancing within the flames. Upon further inspection, because of a nearby candelabra, Colby found tiny little lizards, not dragons but little red dragons dancing amongst the candles.

"What the hell are these things?" Colby turned to look at the four others in his group.

"Salemanders, they are fire spirits. They are born of fire so they love to play in candles but they have been known to cause uncontrolable blazes. Some forest fires are associated to out of control salemanders who decide to leap from fire pits to forests. Come on, we have to get moving." Annella grabbed his arm and began pulling him towards a set of spiral stairs towards the back of the hall.

They were headed to the Inner Sanctum where Colby was going to meet the High Council for the first time. He hoped the last too.

"Are all these people, um, feys?" Colby asked as he saw elegantly robed people passing them. All were looking at the travelers with intrigue, since none of the four humans were dressed like them.

"Most, some are witches, wizards, I see a druid or a druidess here and there." Stephen said. "Like America, there are more of one species livng here together in the In-Between."

Colby sort of understood that. In America it was a white dominant place, so in the In-Between the fey can be seen as the superiority race amongst others. Though involving fantasy creatures, this cultural fact mirrored the cultural stigmas back in reality.

"I'm half human, half witch." Annella said. "I am one of the few as such. The bitten are less and less nowadays since breeding NS creatures are the social norms. In case of vamps, it's easier to turn a human, Weres are a different story."

"What's going to happen to me if I do successfully transform?" Colby asked, glancing at a portrait of a man in a suit of armor standing next to a dragon that they had passed.

"You can get assigned a task by the Council if you swear to protect humanity from any harm. Though if you break this honor bound oath, punishment is death." Jon said as they came to another set of large doors, these ones perfectly white.

Vines were carved into the trimming around the doors. It was on the other side of the doors that startled Colby. If the inner sanctum was outside, where was the outer sanctum located, inside? The entire place was wooded, resting on top of the spreading of tree limbs that were reaching to the sky. The leaves in the tree made it shaded in this place, it also shaded the one, two...six chairs, thrones actually, placed behind a long dark wood table. At these thrones six people sat, no not people but Night Society rulers, that's what Colby came to think of them as.

"Your weapons, fey and druid. You know not to bring weaponry into the sanctum." The old hag looking woman with black flowing robes said, making the group stop in the center of the area.

Two elves stepped forward, retrieving Jon's wakizashi sword and Stephen's Celtic cross. The one that took Stephen's iron cross seemed uneffected by it's almost deadly poisonous craftmanship towards fey kinds.

Annella, again, wasn't looking at the almost larger than life creatures in front of them, tucking herself next to Colby, who was looking at a woman with distinct cat ears and a long tawny colored tail. The tail was coming from an old fashion looking Egyptian outfit, not modern mind you but she looked like a hieroglyph painting from a pyramid tomb.

Jon handed off Labina to Annella, who now looked like she was trying not to cry. "Bless you." He smirked, showing the dimple in his left cheek when Annella let out a small sneeze.

"Child, you are the first witch, half or otherwise, to be allergic to cats." The strangely dressed cat woman said, sounding almost amused.

"Sorry, Lady Bubastis." Annella hung her head further, in shame this time.

"Please, you're as much a citizen as the next." The old woman with salt and pepper hair, the one wearing all black robes, and a pentagram hanging around her neck said. Obviously it wasn't iron if she was sitting next to a couple of fey beings. "So, this is the Seti heir, huh?" Now she was looking at Colby, like the rest of them were.

"Aye, Lady Maeve." Stephen bowed his head to the council members. "He has come to register as a Night Society citizen."

"On his own admission I take it." An almost sinister voice sounded from the Council members.

The man that spoke was grey skinned, wore a red hat of some sort and had almost greasey black hair. The woman next to him, fair and golden haired, didn't look too amused by this guy's question.  
"Yeah, I came here voluntarily, but didn't you guys request me to be here?" Colby asked.

"We did yes." The Golden Lady looked at the greasey man next to her. "Bring in the book, please."

In front of Colby a large book appeared on a pedastal. He had to step back because it wasn't something he would have expected. Annella had to put a hand on his back to keep Colby from running out of the Sanctum all together. Labina was safely tucked in her right hand otherwise the doll would have been dropped for sure.

"Easy, Colby Man." Jon said, turning to his friend. "It's the Book of Records. Anyone who is turned, or married to an NS citizen has to sign the book."

"But I haven't turned yet, transformed or any of that." Colby argued.

"Trust me, child, I know." Bubastis said smiling, showing her feline canines. "Sekhmet and Bastet created me in their images. When a deity chooses your fate, it will be seen through."

"You're a Were being?"

"I created the Were Cat subspecies. I was made from the sands of Upper Egypt by two goddesses. I am the first of my kind."

Was she looking at him in contempt, hate?

"Um, okay, I'll sign the book." Colby said stepping up to the pedastal.

Taking the quill from the inkwell next to the book, Colby looked at the current open page, There were only three names in addition to the book: Diana Annella McIntyre. And then the last name on the page shocked him for the loop. One Phillip Jack Brooks. One of the council members took notice of his shocked expression.

"Ah yes, my new son works with you." The palest man said from the table. "He survives by not blood but by the energy your fans exudes."

"What is he?" Colby asked after signing his name.

"He's a vampire."

That fact shocked the wrestler as did the book and pedastal when they both disappeared in front of him. This was all just too- strange would be the best word- for him to wrap his head around. Colby looked at Jon, who seemed to be in a battle of wits, or a staring contest with Greas Man next to the Golden Girl.

"Um, may I ask something of you, Lords and Ladies?" Colby found his voice. "I don't know who you are, or what you are."

They looked amongst themselves, as if talking with their minds. This thought creeped Colby out but it looked like they came to an agreement.

"Well that can be arranged. I am Lady Bubastis, Creatress of the Were Cats and chosen representation of all Were Beings." The Egyptian Cat woman said, standing from her seat. Her tail flicked behind her as she stood there.

Next came the Grease Man. "I am Lord Slaugh, Chosen of the Unseelie Fey." He did not stand for Colby. "I over see the goblins, hobgolbins and others of such rank, like the dark fey you call friend."

"And I am Lady Caireen, the Seelie Courts and other fey who fall into that category are under my watch." The Golden Lady said, not standing up but inclining her head to him in a respective nod. "As does Ambrosius."

"I am Lady Maeve, the Crone of the Witches." The salt and pepper haired woman stood, bowing to him slightly. "I was elected by the other witches in the Night Society to represent them on the council."

"I am Lord Ryan O'Sullivan, Archdruid. Lady Maeve and I over see all magic users, witches, wizards, druids and druidesses, citizens like that. Citizens like my former student Sheamus O'Shaunessy, who was under my tutolage hundreds of years passed." This guy had a similar accent like Stephen's, and almost the same red hair that Stephen had, only this druid's hair was long and flowing. It was held back in a ponytail from what Colby could see.

Next came the vampire who had sired CM Punk. "I am Lord Konstantine, I rule over all vampires born or bitten." His hair was long and black and he had green eyes, bright emerald green eyes. "Not all vampires are blood drinkers, some are psychic and feed off of human emotions." Was he a blood drinker or not? If he was, he couldn't be sitting in direct sunlight like he was at that moment and not dying on the spot.

"And now that you know of us, it's time to assign you your first task." Bubastis said.


End file.
